US Army hacking unit openly admits to having carried out the attack to disrupt ransomware operations

news7g12/06/2021

4 1 minute read

US Army hacking unit openly admits to having carried out the attack to disrupt ransomware operations

The spokesman declined to specify what actions the order took. But it was one of the first, obvious admissions from Cyber Command since Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack in May that the order targeted criminal gangs holding the computer systems of US businesses hostage.

New remarks by General Paul Nakasone, head of Cyber Command and Director of the National Security Agency, reported by the New York Times earlier on Sunday, signal that the computer forces of the US military increasingly willing to attack criminals, not just state actors, who threaten critical U.S. infrastructure.

Security agencies across the US government have stepped up their crackdown on ransomware groups after attacks brought Colonial Pipeline, a major US fuel carrier and a major meat processor to a standstill at the beginning of this year. CNN report in june that the US government has taken offensive steps in response to ransomware, including entering and investigating cybercriminals’ networks, according to people familiar with the matter.

Nakasone said last month that the US government has “conducted an attack” against ransomware operators, including attempting to cut off hacker funding sources.

Nakasone repeated that message in one Interview with the New York Times this weekend.

“Before, during and since, with some elements of our government, we took actions and we imposed costs,” Nakasone told the newspaper. “It’s an important part that we should always be mindful of.”

The US government’s fight against ransomware groups, many of which are based in Eastern Europe and Russia, also included identifying alleged blackmailers and sanctioning a cryptocurrency exchange accused of laundering money for private information. thief.

The White House has been trying to put pressure on the Russian government to crack down on cybercriminals operating on Russian soil. It remains to be seen whether that will happen, analysts say – Moscow often turns a blind eye to hackers who don’t target Russian organizations.

President Joe Biden will hold a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday. The two men will discuss cybersecurity, according to the White House, six months after Biden called on Putin to take action against hackers during a meeting in Geneva.

CNN’s Zachary Cohen contributed to this report.

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